BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 700

By: Guillen

International Relations & Economic Development

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been suggested that progress toward workforce development goals set by the 60x30TX higher education strategic plan could be accelerated if additional stakeholders were involved. C.S.H.B. 700 seeks to broaden such involvement by making local workforce development boards and public libraries eligible for certain funding from the Texas Workforce Commission skills development fund.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 700 amends the Labor Code to include local workforce development boards and public libraries among the entities authorized to use the skills development fund as start-up or emergency funds for developing customized training programs for businesses and trade unions and for sponsoring small and medium-sized business networks and consortiums. The bill revises accordingly the provision establishing the purpose of the fund and updates references to the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service.                       

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 700 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute does not include public school districts among the entities eligible to use the skills development fund for the specified purposes.